The PTA FLASH FORESTVILLE ELEMENTARY 1085 UTTERBACK STORE RD GREAT FALLS, VA 22066 OFFICE PHONE: 703 404 6000 HEALTH ROOM: 703 404 6010 ATTENDANCE LINE: 703 404 6098 WEBSITE: HTTP:/WWW.FCPS.EDU/FORESTVILLE/ES THIS MONTH AT FORESTVILLE February Feb 13th Feb 16th Feb 19th Feb 19th Feb. 20th Feb. 20th 2nd Grade in charge Cafeteria Volunteers Dinning Out at Chuck E Cheese 3-9pm President’s Day NO SCHOOL Elective Fair at Cooper rising 7th graders Cooper Counselors visit 6th grade classes General PTA Meeting Night of 1000 Stars A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT FEBRUARY 9, 2015 partners of Stop Hunger Now, distributed meals to very impoverished areas. One of the members of our Forestville Family was able to be there to serve these meals to children at a feeding center opened by a dump site in the east coast of Nicaragua. There he learned that some children survive by collecting trash from the dump and selling it. Many walked 30 minutes to get the only meal they have on any given day. Since the opening of this particular center 4 years ago, children have improved in health and personal hygiene. Thanks to Stop Hunger Now, to you the financial supporters, to those who packed the meals and to the many more hands that made it possible for the meals to get all the way to a child’s mouth, there is hope in their eyes and relief in our hearts! Forestville’s participation in events like these defines who we are beyond our academics. It establishes the foundation to teach our children about service, care and kindness. It defines character. For that reason it is an honor to be a part of a caring and giving community like this one. Thank you Forestville! This Saturday we gathered at Colvin Run Elementary’s cafeteria to package 100,000 meals for the hungry around the world. More than 350 parents, children and teachers of our Langley pyramid schools gathered every two hours from 8:30 until 3:30 to package the meals that your contributions made possible to purchase. To those who contributed financially thank you! To those who came to serve, thank you for representing Forestville and for making an impact in the lives of those in need around the world. It was such a great experience for the children and for us parents alike to serve and feel the satisfaction of spending our time in doing something that matters and truly makes an impact in someone’s life. Last month, meals like these were sent off to Nicaragua and El Salvador where organizations like Orphan Network, 1 PTA President, Jennisse p.s. For packing event and feeding center pictures please see page 4 IN THIS ISSUE Page Stop Hunger Now Thank You…...……………...…1 Where did Cardinal Club Dollars Go……………...2 Did you get your Cardinal Club Tax Letter……….2 Character Trait of the Month ……….……………..3 Hammer of Perseverance Winners……………….3 Construction Update………………………………..3 Mrs. Twitchel’s Perseverance Winners.….……....3 Parent Focused Speaker Series…………..………3 Volunteer Corner……………………..……………..4 Nominate a Forestville Teacher……...……………4 Last Renovation for Innovation Science Night…..4 Where Did Your Cardinal Club PTA DOLLAR$ Go This Month? Did you know that the PTA has a great impact in all the activities and events that are held at Forestville every month! Come look and see! This month your PTA dollars have paid for: 4th and Last Renovation for Innovation Science Night Maryland Science Center Visits 5th Grade River Bend Park Field trip 2nd Grade Lake Fairfax Park Fieldtrip 5th Grade GMU Center of Arts Fieldtrip 3rd Grade Teacher Stipends Grace Art Supplies First Lego League Club Registration Forestville Cares Hammer of Perseverance Awards Character Trait Campaign Banners Teacher Continuing Education Did you get your Donation Letter Tax season is upon us and we wanted to make sure you knew that we sent out via email your Cardinal Club Donation letter. If you made a donation but did not received a letter via email please contact our treasurer assistant Yan Wei at weiwei4834@gmail.com Thank you for your tax deductible contribution! If you have not made your donation yet and would like to please visit www.pay4schoolstuff.com Congratulations to our Hammer of Perseverance winners! CHARACTER TRAIT OF THIS MONTH Tape Measure of Positive Attitude This month we launch the Tape Measure of Positive Attitude. It is not what happens to you but how you respond to it that makes the difference. This month we will be talking about how our “Attitude determines our Altitude”. Join us at home by promoting a “half glass full” perspective and response to every situation. This past Wednesday January 28th we rolled out the Red carpet once again to recognize our Hammer of Perseverance winners. Please help me in congratulating the following students who demonstrated perseverance. Kindergarten - Charlie Jackson 1st Grade – Sophia Christiano 2nd Grade – Michael Scheiner 3rd Grade – Ella Minor 4th Grade – Sophie Stolzer 5th Grade – Wyatt Kunkel 6th Grade Honorable Mention – Cole Stolzer 6th Grade Honorable Mention – Grant Reed 6th Grade Winner – Kyle Hawley Renovation has been delayed FCPS is working on presenting the entire sanitary sewer package to the Board of Supervisors. Once this process is complete FCPS will be able to bid the project. The renovation is still scheduled to start end of May beginning of June. 2 Sophie 4th Grade Winner and Cole Stolzer 6th Grade Honorable Mention Congratulations to Mrs. Twitchel’s Perseverance winners! As an added plus, in Mrs. Twitchel’s strategies lab students got to work on perseverance as well. For those who best captured the concept of perseverance a Think Fun game was awarded. Congratulations to the winners! 1st Grade – Nina Britt 2nd Grade – Manuela Wasser 3rd Grade – Ryan Costley 4th Grade – Elena Pasavento 5th Grade – Ijena Mere 6th Grade – Audrey Pennington NOMINATE A FORESTVILLE SUPER Teacher! Do YOU Know a Super Teacher? xx Does your child's teacher go above and beyond classroom duty to inspire students? Help us identify and recognize these education heroes! Between now and February 13, 2015, nominate your child's Super Teacher at www.vasuperteacher.com. Out of the nominees, eight Virginia educators will be selected in 2015 as Super Teachers, winning $2,000 from the Virginia Lottery and $2,000 in classroom supplies from The Supply Room Companies. Let's show our outstanding teachers how super-thankful we are for their hard work. Nominate a Super Teacher Today! VOLUNTEER CORNER 2nd Grade parents are being asked to volunteer in the lunch room in February. Like last year we will rotate Cafeteria Volunteering responsibilities by grade and classroom. The month of February is assigned to 2nd grade classrooms. Below please find the week assignment per 6th grade Classroom. All homerooms will be asked to help out again in the Spring (April - June). If you have any questions please contact Kellie Gentile at kellie.gentile@gmail.com Zeurner - week of 2/3 McCourt - week of 2/9 Lombardi - week of 2/17 Boggs - week of 2/23 SOCK HOP March 10th INTRODUCING SPEAKER SERIES The Forestville Mental Health Team will be presenting on the topic "Social Media in Elementary School" on February 27th at 9:30 am at our PTA General Meeting. This presentation will explore the popularity of social media sites, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, and YouTube, and its effect on elementary-aged children. Attendees will learn about data regarding social media usage for children under 12, the benefits and dangers RENOVATION FOR INNOVATION SCIENCE NIGHTS Forestville concludes Renovation for Innovation Science Night Series with hands-on fun Sock Hop planning is well underway but could still use your help! Please contact Erin Hawley at eohawley@gmail.comto see how you can help our 4th thru 6th graders have a fun and memorable 50's Themed Sock Hop on Friday, April 10th Thanks in advance moms and dads, as well as those responsible kids in need of Community Service hours. Our next in person meeting is Thurs, March 12th at 2:30pm. 3 “Wow! I didn’t know that!” This was a common refrain heard from children and adults at the Family Science Night held at Forestville Elementary School on January 23, 2015. The January event was the culmination of a four-event series called the “Renovation for Innovation Science Night Series.” Each event featured hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities designed to prepare the Forestville population for its upcoming school renovation. In addition to STEM, the events also celebrated the creativity and colors of innovation, with fully integrated art and free-thinking exercises. Over 100 children and their families braved a snowy night to try innovative ways to care for the world through January’s “Waste Not, Want Not” theme. Children bounced bubbles filled with dry ice “smoke” and explored alternative energy by making potato batteries and windmills out of magazines and sticks. They built energy efficient homes out of craft sticks and used iPads to test for energy loss. Parents were surprised to learn that given the weight of a gallon of water (8.3 lbs), families probably waste their own weight in water every day. Adults and children were also challenged to calculate the cost of daily power usage after watching watts used – in real time – by small appliances hooked up to a multimeter. STOP HUNGER NOW EVENT and FEEDING CENTER PICTURES Vitamins, Seasoning, Dried Soy and Rice go into a Bag Step 2: Package gets weighed and sealed 3D Printing of a Child’s own design Step 3: Package is ready for packaging and shipping CO2 Bubbles – Solid turning to gas Making Batteries out of Potatoes Feeding center where stop Hunger Now meals are served in Nicaragua Making Art out of Junk After washing hands children sit to eat 4